Nightmares come true
by CSI-missy
Summary: After a date, something is seriously wrong with Zach. Meanwhile a burnt skeleton shows up in a resteraunt garbage can and a strange woman turns up in Zach's life.
1. Zach

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bones! I have bones, but I don't own the show.**

**A/n: The idea is a bit like _what dreams may come _but a lot of it is all mine!**

Chapter 1: Zach

_Beep… beep… beep_

The alarm beeped at him from the night stand. Zach didn't move from his cocoon of blankets. He didn't want to move, so he wasn't going to.

_Beep…beep…beep_

Zach turned and looked at the alarm for a moment, willing it to shut up, but it didn't. He was about to reach out and smack the annoying contraption, the only technology he didn't like, when another annoying sound drew his attention.

_Knock…knock…knock_

Hodgins. He banged on the door a few more times before shouting.

"That's it, if you're not up in ten seconds; I'm coming in, Zach!" Zach groaned and dug a deeper hole in the blankets. He waited a moment and sure enough, Hodgins unlocked the door and walked in. He didn't look at Zach; he just hit the alarm button and walked off. As he left the room, he yelled back.

"I leave in ten. If you're coming to work, be ready!" He then proceeded to slam the door and storm off towards the cars hidden below Zach's suit. He heard a car start, and somewhere in the back of his head he knew he should call Hodgins back to get him, but he hurt all over and he didn't want to move.

_Music…_

In the distance, his cell phone rang. He didn't bother getting it. He knew it was Brennen, wanting to know where he was. He considered what had happened the night before. He'd been on date, with one of the interns. Grace James Dougherty. She was a nice enough girl, twenty-one years old, attending one of the local colleges. He had no idea why he was in so much pain. All his muscles burned and he didn't want to move at all. After his cell stopped ringing his landline started to ring. He burrowed even deeper into the cocoon of blankets as the answering machine got it.

_Zach Addy's house, leave a message or call my cell. Thanks._

"_Zach, its Dr. Brennen. We're a little worried about you since you didn't come to work today. Give me a call when you're feeling better, alright? Thanks, bye._

Zach poked his head up from under the blankets and stared at the clock. 8:05. He quickly slid back under the covers and went back to sleep.

* * *

_Tick… tick… tick…_

The clock on the wall behind Booth counted the seconds of the day. He was doing paper work, and he really hated paper work. In his mind, whoever had invented the need to spend hours filling in reports on the computer was the antichrist of the FBI.

_Tap…tap…tap_

He tapped his pencil on the desk a couple times before tossing it across the desk and leaning back. Coffee, he needed coffee. He grabbed his jacket off the back of his chair and was halfway out the door with his jacket half on when his phone rang. And not his cell phone, his office phone. He gave an exasperated sigh and grabbed the phone.

"Booth."

"Hey, Booth, it's Denny," said the loose tenor voice of Jason Denny, Booth's 'partner'.

"Hey, Denny. I was just heading out for coffee, is there something I can do for you?"

"We got a call from Garcia's Restaurant about ten minutes ago. Someone set their Garbage bin on fire last night. The fire department put it out, but didn't worry too much about it, it's the sixth time in two weeks someone's lit it up. But this morning when they went to put out the trash they found a skeleton in the bottom. Thought you might get that Bones Lady and her team down here to figure it out."

"Why didn't the fire department find it last night?"

"Figured someone threw a cigarette in there or a hot batch of grease. It's a restaurant, it happens."

"Alright, I'll call the 'Bones Lady' and be down there ASAP."

"Thanks, Booth."

"Welcome, Denny." He hung up the phone and grabbed his badge and gun. "So much for coffee," he said as he left the office.

* * *

"Bones! Can you-"

"Don't call me that, Booth!" Dr. Brennen yelled over the line at the FBI agent. Booth smiled.

"Sorry, Dr. Brennen. Can you meet me down at Garcia's Restaurant?"

"Why?"

"I've got a skeleton in a dumpster."

"Why is it an FBI case?"

"I…don't really know. But it is a case you'd like. So either work with me or with local PD, either way you're gonna end up down here sometime today."

"Fine. I'll meet you down there."

"Are you gonna bring Addy? If you are I'll make sure PD doesn't send CSI."

"Zach's not feeling well today. Send CSI, but tell them to wait for me."

"Got it, Bones."

"Don't call me that, Booth."

* * *

AN: Hey! Hope you like it, it'll get better, R&R, no flamies please! 


	2. What Dreams May Come

**Disclaimer: Still don't own 'em...too bad. I do own Claire Tucker and a good portion of other stuff. **

**A/N: You are about to find out what's up with Zach, it will be sad, but please R&R, and no flames.**

Chapter 2: What Dreams May Come

The skeleton was lying out on the table in front of them. The three scientists and the FBI agent stood around the table, lost in thought. Hodgins was the first to break the silence.

"Should I try and call Zach again?" Brennen shook her head.

"No. If he's not here, he's not feeling well. We'll leave him alone for now." She looked at the skeleton before her. It seemed strangely familiar. It was small, but definitely an adult's.

"Young adult male, Caucasian, twenty to twenty-six, small for his age," she started. Angela was taken from an artist's point of view. The team had given the skeleton a peroxide bath when he'd gotten there, so he was all bones now. None of the charred flesh from when he was found.

"He was probably a good looking kid," said Angela. Pointing to the cheek bones and the frontal lobe. "Low cheek bones, high brow, thin jaw line. Why does he seem so…"

"Familiar?" asked Brennen. Angela nodded. They all felt it. Something about this kid was getting to them. Angela picked up the skull and turned to Brennen.

"Mind if I take this?" she asked. Brennen nodded.

"Go ahead. Let's figure out who this boy was and how he died." The team scattered. Brennen was looking at the cervical vertebrea. She "See anything different about this bone?" she asked. Booth looked at her.

"Um…no." She pointed to a long scratch that ran from one end of the bone to the other.

"This scratch here, it looks as if his throat was slit."

"Anything else?" he asked, he needed something before he went back to headquarters.

"Yeah, right here." She held up a section of the spine. "This is the Thoracic section of the vertebrae. Notice right here, a stab mark. He was stabbed and then had his throat slit."

"Then he was set on fire, kid was not having a good night."

"No, he wasn't. I only wish I knew why he seems so…familiar." She shook her head and went to work. She needed to know everything, how long he'd been in that dumpster, who'd put him there, everything. Angela would tell her who he was soon enough.

* * *

Zach woke up again, his phone ringing from the kitchen. He checked the clock; the red numbers read 12:42. He groaned again, turning to face the ceiling. He took a deep breath, he was still sore, but at least it was almost bearable now. He got up, got dressed and got ready to leave, checking his message on the way out.

"Zach, its Dr. Brennen again. We have a case, so the sooner you get here the better." He nodded and closed his phone. He didn't drive and he wasn't going to call Hodgins to get him, he'd take the bus. He reached the front gates of Hodgins' massive property and was met by a young woman, maybe twenty-six or so years old. She had long black hair pulled back in a loose braid that ran down her back. She had soft green eyes that shone in the mid day sun.

"Hi," she said. He smiled, but didn't say anything. She shielded her eyes from the sun and stepped closer, her hands in the pockets of her blue jeans. She wore a white tee shirt that buttoned down the front and showed off the tan of her shoulders. "I'm Claire Tucker. You must be Zach?" she asked.

"Yeah, do I know you?" he asked, confused.

"No, or I wouldn't have introduced myself. Can I give you a lift to work?"

"How do you know me?"

"I'm a friend of a friend. Don't worry, I don't bite." Finally, he nodded.

"Sure. The-"

"Jeffersonian, I know. Come on, get in." She signalled to the black convertible behind her. It was a beautiful car and Zach wasted no time getting into the passenger's seat. They drove in silence, but Zach was curious.

"Who-" she seemed to be able to read his mind.

"Grace. Grace Dougherty. I figured you'd need a lift."

"Figured? You showed up just as I was getting up."

"You'll understand soon enough."

"You're very lucky I'm trusting and in a hurry." She laughed, a pretty laugh, and shook her head. They were at the Jeffersonian, and Zach got out.

"Thanks for the lift."

"Don't think you're getting away that easy. I'm coming in."

"Why?"

"I need to." They walked into the building, Zach felt strangely invisible. Nobody seemed to notice him as he walked the long halls to the Forensic Anthropology section of the museum. Located deep under the museum, the lab was kept relatively cool and was lit by a stream of halogen lights. He walked up to Dr. Brennen, who was examining a skeleton. Booth was nowhere to be seen.

"Afternoon, Dr. Brennen," he said, Claire stood beside him. Brennen didn't look up, didn't acknowledge him at all. He looked at Claire, she looked away. Angela appeared beside Brennen, tears in her deep brown eyes.

"Sweetie?" Brennen looked up at Angela.

"What's wrong, Ange?"

"Grab Jack, and come here." Angela dashed off to her computer, The 3-D program that she'd made herself to show 3-D model of pretty much anything. Zach watched Brennen talk to Hodgins for a second then head off to go see Angela. He followed them, and Claire followed him. At the door she grabbed his arm.

"Zach," she said "I need to tell you, what you're about to see, is going to hurt. You need to be prepared."

"What do you mean?"

"Just…watch." He found a place, a side of the 3-D cube that was theprogram's screen. Across from him, Angela tapped at the controls.

"Okay, so I took the skull and put in the dimensions, added the muscle and the skin and…" she stopped as the model filled in the detail. Brennen gasped as her hand flew to her mouth. Hodgins' jaw dropped and Zach stopped dead. Angela guided the computer with shaking hands, adding in a wave of chin length brown hair and soft brown eyes. The pale computer model rotated slightly so Zach could see the victim.

"No. It's not possible." Tears ran down his face as he looked at the computer image, of himself.

* * *

A/N: hope you liked it, R&R please! 


	3. Claire Tucker

**Disclaimer: I own... Something! I own...Claire Tucker, and 'The Graces', because I'm crazy and felt like making up a random plane of the dead. Please, read and review and don't flame me. **

Chapter 3: Claire Tucker

"_No. It's not possible."_

Zach didn't want to believe it; maybe it was all a bad dream. He looked at Claire and was about to ask when Booth walked in, and up to the Angelator, through Zach. It was the strangest thing that had ever happened to the boy, aside from finding out he was dead.

"What do we know?" he asked, before spotting the figure on the screen. His eyes got big and his jaw dropped as he realized what had happened. "It can't be. Zach?" Brennen nodded, none of them could find words to tell the FBI agent what had happened since he'd left only an hour earlier. Behind Booth, Zach stood there, baffled as to how this was humanly possible.

"It's not," came a voice behind him. He turned to face Claire. She gave a sad smiled and looked away.

"What's not? What are you talking about?" he asked following her out of the room. She left the building, and sat on the steps of the building. Zach sat beside her.

"I'm sorry," she said. He pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them.

"I just don't understand what happened. How this happened to me. It bugs me that I don't know what's going on and that I can't help."

"It's hard, I know."

"Who are you?"

"Exactly who I said I was. I'm Claire Tucker, and I was a friend of Grace's."

"Was? You said you and Grace were friends and that's how you knew about me…how can you see me if I'm dead? Why am I still walking around if I'm dead? Is this a dream? Is-" Claire held up a hand.

"Please, one a question at a time. Your first question, I was a friend of Graces, when I was alive. It's partially through her that I found you, actually it was a common link so that you'd trust me."

"Okay, so you're not actually friends?"

"Yes, we were…a long time ago. We're not friends anymore…mostly because I'm dead."

"Oh, so that's why you can see me, if I'm actually dead."

"You are. To answer your next question, why are you still walking around was it?"

"Um…yeah. I thought when you died you just disappeared."

"Not a religious guy, are you?"

"Not really."

"Okay…let me explain. When you die, there are four places your body goes. The typical heaven and hell, then there's limbo and the graces. The Limbo is Purgatory a place for lost souls, who either don't want to cross over, or just a stop for people who are still crossing over."

"Where am I?"

"You're in the Grace."

"The Grace?"

"The grace is for people who have nowhere to go, people who aren't religious, but not evil. A lot of them end up in Purgatory, but some of them just…wander."

"Where are you?"

"The Grace. There's a lot of us here, atheists that aren't evil, but of course…don't deserve to go to heaven."

"Oh…so we're?"

"Ghosts or reapers are what most people call us. We call ourselves 'Gracers'. Gracers help the newly deceased cope with death. We try and help them realize what happened. Most people want to go to heaven, but those people never get to see what happened to them."

"What do you mean? We're dead, nothing happens to us."

"Don't you want to know what happened? How you died, who did it, what happens? Don't you want to hear what the others have to say about you?"

"I guess. Yeah, I do. Starting with what happened?"

"I can't tell you that, but I can help you find out."

"How?"

"As a Gracer, you stay on this plane, so you can stay and-"

"Watch the team solve the case with out me?"

"Um…yeah. Sorry. Look, we can't interfere, but we can point in the right direction. You checked your cell phone right?"

"Yeah?"

"So, you can still handle stuff, but you can't…communicate."

"I'm not sure I follow."

"Okay…say your team is at the crime scene, you see something important. Now obviously you can't tell them about it, but you can move things so that they see it."

"Okay…"

"It's not as much fun as being alive, but at least you're doing something. When I was at my crime scene, I moved the numbers around so they would find evidence they might've missed."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"How did you die?"

"Actually, I'm still not sure. They never solved my case and I only remember bits and pieces of it."

"So we'll never know what happened to me if Dr. Brennen and Booth don't solve the case?"

"You might remember certain things, but chances are you'll never really know."

"You said there were lots of Gracers, where are they?" Claire laughed.

"It's not like Heaven, Zach, you don't go somewhere in particular; we just…wander. Come on, they're gonna need you inside."

"What?"

"To help solve the case, come on." She stood up and took his hand, pulling him to his feet. She smiled and they walked in, down the halls to the lab. On a silver gurney style table lay the skeleton, his skull returned to its normal position.

"It's weird to see yourself like that," said Zach.

"Tell me about it," said Claire. Zach ran his fingers over the bone's smooth surface, taking in their texture and not having to worry about gloves.

"Although, its kind of cool," he added. Claire shook her head. Zach watched Brennen take picture of his skeleton. Zach watched Brennen work, and Claire smiled, maybe he'd be one of the ones, that could handle this.


	4. Tension

Chapter 4: Tension

"I want to know everything and anything about what happened last night. I want the fire fighters reports, I want a complete run down of his credit cards, cell phone, home phone, emails and I want to talk to everyone he had contact with yesterday. Except the squints, they obviously didn't do it." Booth had been shouting orders at people all day. From Hodgins to Denny and anyone else who fell in his path. The only person who had been spared his wrath was Brennen, and that was only because he was only repeating the orders she'd been shouting at him all morning.

"That shouldn't take too long," said Hodgins, looking down his microscope.

"What's that supposed to mean?" snapped Booth. Usually he didn't pay too much attention to the youngest doctor, but today Zach was not just a scientist, but a lost colleague, maybe even a friend. Hodgins looked up at Booth.

"Well, Zach doesn't have a credit card, he doesn't drive and he doesn't exactly know a lot of people outside the lab. I have access to his home phone, since it's on my property, and I can in fact hack into his email from work."

"Then why aren't you doing any of that?"

"Hey, don't act like we don't care. He was more then just a 'squint' to us, he was a friend. We're trying to figure out what happened, so give us a chance to do our jobs!"

"Are you saying I don't care about Zach?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

"You're wrong, Hodgins."

"Really, because I'm certain you've never said more then a dozen words to Zach at any given time since you met him. Tell me, oh great FBI agent, did you really care about him or he just a scientist who meant something to Brennen?"

"Hey, maybe we weren't best friends like you two, but that does not mean that he meant any less to me then he did to you!"

"Guys!" shouted Brennen, walking up to Booth and Hodgins. "We're all rattled, and we're all in shock. We just need to do our jobs and find who did this. Can we do that without killing each other?"

"Yes, ma'am," said Hodgins.

"Sure," added Booth.

"Good. Booth, we should go down to Garcia's and ask if they saw anything."

"I'll meet you in the car. Hodgins, I'm sorry I snapped. Can you start looking through his stuff?"

"Sure thing, Booth." Brennen and Booth left, and Hodgins wiped away a tear that threatened to fall.

"I've never seen them like this," said Zach, sitting in the chair beside Hodgins. Claire sat on the table beside the computer.

"People get weird when they loose someone close."

"I never thought I was close to any of them. I mean, I've lived with Hodgins for a long time, and Brennen is my role model, but I never really knew Booth. I got the feeling he never really liked me."

"You'd be surprised what you can learn about people just by listening to them when they think no one's there. No one's there." Zach looked at her quickly, trying to figure out why she'd repeated the last part.

"What?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing. I just…why'd you repeat the last part, the 'no one's there'?"

"I didn't."

"Okay, I must've been mistaken."

"It's alright. What do you remember?"

"Not a lot. I was on a date with Grace, we went to a little Spanish restaurant downtown. I can't remember the name, which really bothers me because I don't forget details easily. After that it's blank until this morning. When I woke up I felt like I was on fire, every muscle ached and I didn't want to get up."

"That's pretty good, most people don't remember the last twenty-four hours leading up to the…I'm sorry, this isn't helping is it?"

"Not really. Hey! Stop, look at…he can't hear me."

"No, he can't. What'd you see?"

"An email from Garcia's, confirmation for the dinner reservation yesterday."

"Hey, you still got you're cell phone on you?"

"Yeah."

"Go put it on a table somewhere in the lab, where they'll hear it if it rings."

"Okay, why?"

"Just go." Zach walked over to the rack of lab coats and slipped his cell phone into the pocket of his coveralls. Claire walked over to one of the lab phones and picked it up.

"Come over here and phone your cell."

"Why?"

"So it'll ring and get his attention," she said, indicating to Hodgins, who had moved on to Zach's online date book.

"So he'll go check that out, and we can print off the email and add my dinner reservations to the date book."

"Then they'll have a direction. You're catching on, now come over here and dial. By the way, your cell phone didn't register you checking your voice mail this morning."

"How's that…you know what, I don't want to know."

"Sure you do, but I'm not sure how it works, so I can't be of any help there." Zach picked up the phone and dialled, a moment later his ring tone played lightly through the lab, causing Hodgins to look up from the computer. He walked over to the coats towards the music. Zach hung up the phone and dashed over to the computer, adding his reservation and pulling up his email. He printed the reservation off and smiled at Claire.

_Beep…beep…beep_

"Did you hear that?" he asked.

"Hear what?"

"A buzzing sound, like an alarm clock or something?"

"Probably the computer."

"Probably." Hodgins turned around at the sound of the printer and walked over to the computer, dropping into his chair seconds after Zach moved out of the way.

"You know he can't sit on you."

"That doesn't make it any less weird. Like when Booth walked through me. I felt something, the strange cold feeling you're supposed to feel when you walk through a ghost, but he seemed unaffected."

"It happens."

"What, me feeling cold and tingly and him being completely unaffected?"

"Yeah. Not all ghost lore is true, Zach. Most of it is made up by fanatics in their basement."

"Angela!" shouted Hodgins, standing up and bolting towards her office.

"I think he got the message," said Zach.

"Or you totally freaked him out."


	5. Fire

**Disclaimer: Still don't own.**

**a/n: Sorry this took me so long. I just started university and it's been crazy.**

**This chapter is really short, and shows a kind of climax. The next couple chapters, and I hope to get them up soon, will show how this entire story wraps up. **

Chapter 5: Fire

"Excuse me, can I talk to you?" asked Booth. The hostess held up a hand and continued to talk on the phone.

"I'm sorry, but this is important, and will only take-" Again the hostess held up a hand and ignored him. Booth held up his badge and tapped it on the counter to get the hostess's attention. She looked up and saw Booth and Brennen standing there. She smiled and nodded quickly.

"Alright, I'll write you in for tomorrow at eight and I'll see you then. Thank you," she said into the phone.

"Now can we talk to you?" asked Booth.

"What can I do for you?" she asked. She had a faint English accent, long blond hair pulled in a tight pony tail and blue eyes lined in dark eye make-up. She wore black suit pants and a white blouse, and was probably in her early twenties. Her name tag read Johanna.

"I'm Special Agent Booth with the FBI, this is Dr. Temperance Brennen. We need to ask you about the fire last night. Were you working?"

"I was. I actually was the one who called the cops."

"That was good of you. Do you recognize this man?" Booth held up Zach's picture. It was hard to keep his voice steady. It was more painful than he thought it would be to have to work Zach's case.

Johanna took the picture and looked at it closely.

"Yeah, I think he was here last night."

"In the restaurant?" asked Booth, he hadn't heard from Hodgins yet so he didn't know he'd been there.

"Yeah, I believe so. I can't remember the name, I can double check."

"Zach Addy," said Brennen. Johanna pulled out a single sheet of paper from behind the counter and scanned the page carefully.

"Here it is. Zach Addy, like you said, he had a reservation for two last night at six thirty."

"For two?" asked Brennen. "Then he was here with someone?" Johanna nodded and handed the papers to Booth.

"She's right. This reservation was made for two. Could you describe the person he was with?" asked Booth.

"He was with a young girl maybe in her early twenties, about my age. She was really pretty, all the waiters were checking her out, and sweet too."

"Could you describe her?" asked Booth again. He was surprised, not only that Zach had apparently had a date with a pretty young girl, but that they had a lead so quickly.

"Um, little taller than me, long black hair, kind of curly. She was dressed up, cocktail dress…that's all I remember."

"That's quite a lot. Do you remember her name?" asked Booth.

"No. Sorry. Look, I've got to get back to work, if that's alright?"

"One more question. Do you remember when they left?"

"They were here for a couple hours. I can get you the credit card receipt, which would tell you what time they paid."

"That'd be great."

"Hodgins told me Zach doesn't have a credit card," said Booth. Brennen looked at him and shook her head.

"I guess he does."

"That's your justification?"

"I don't need to justify it. He paid by credit card, so he must have one."

"I don't-"

"We'll look into it when we get back. It might be new, or Hodgins just doesn't know."

"I-"

"Stop it! You're stressing me out."

"I'm stressing you?"

"Yes. Now stop!"

"Fine."

Johanna returned a second later and handed over the slip, which was for a credit card registered to Zach Addy.

Booth and Brennen left the restaurant and walked towards the alley that ran along beside the building. They stopped just inside the alley.

"Good place to wait for a cab," said Brennen.

"Why not just…right, Zach doesn't drive."

"It would've been a good place for someone to attack him too. Dark, no real visibility unless you're looking for something. And a nice restaurant like this usually means people with good money."

"So what happened to this girl? Was she killed to, or did she get away?" asked Booth, looking around. He did not like the idea that there was another body around here, and that Zach wasn't the only one who'd died last night.

"Or was she the killer? Or a victim of something much worse?" asked Brennen.

Brennen's cell phone beeped and she picked it up.

"Brennen." Booth couldn't hear who was on the line, but Brennen was nodding her head as if the person could see her.

"Thanks, Hodgins." She hung up and turned to Booth.

"What did he want?" asked the Agent.

"We have a name for the girl that Zach was with. And more importantly, she works at the lab."

"Really? Someone from the team?"

"No, she works as an intern in the Jeffersonian. Her name is Grace Daugherty. And here's the really good news; she came into work today."

"She's not dead."

"She's a witness."

"Or a suspect."

* * *

**A/N: So that was that. I should have a new one next week. I have a bit more time to work now.**


	6. fall apart

**Disclaimer: The usual. Don't own them.**

**A/N: Ah, I have decided to completely flip the story and change everything and make this all very confusing. I'm writing as I go now, so I hope you enjoy this. It's coming up on the last chapter. Maybe two more I think.**Chapter 6: Fall apart

* * *

"I thought if you were dead the pain would go away," said Zach. He was standing outside the one way window watching the interrogation of Grace. Booth had returned to the lab and he and Brennen had tracked her down.

Zach and Claire had followed them around as they had initially questioned her on the move, then moved to an interrogation room when she had refused to cooperate and Booth had come close to arresting her out of frustration.

Claire hadn't said anything, even though Zach hadn't stopped asking her questions for the last hour.

Claire looked at him, her eyes took him in completely, but she didn't speak.

"Claire? Why aren't you talking to me anymore?" he asked.

She smiled, but it was a sad smile.

"It's almost over," she said.

"What do you mean?" he asked. Claire looked straight ahead and put her hand on the class.

_Screaming_

Zach's mind will filled with the high pitch scream. The sound came from nowhere and everywhere all at once. He held his hands over his ears and closed his eyes tightly, trying to drown out the sound.

But it seemed to be coming from inside his head.

_Zach!_

A female voice called his name and pain shot through his entire body. Eyes wide open now he couldn't see anything. His vision was white. He could feel someone grab his hand.

It had to be Claire. The pain dissipated but came back quickly.

"You're mind is putting it all back together," said Claire.

The pain stopped again and he fell forwards, catching himself and leaning against the glass. He fought to breathe and control his racing heart.

_Beep…beep…beep…beep…beep_

The sound of the alarm again. It echoed through his mind in a steady rhythm.

"What…what am I putting together?"

Claire smiled, but it was still so sad. She almost looked like she was crying. She put her hand on the window and Zach looked.

"What happened last night?" asked Booth. Grace looked at him, terrified.

"I don't know."

"You were there, weren't you?" he asked. She shook her head quickly.

"No. We met there, and he walked me to my car. I left, and…and so did he."

"He drove?"

"No. Zach doesn't drive. He said he had a cab waiting, and he had to run to catch it. I told him I'd drive him, but he said that was okay."

"Anything else?"

"He gave me a kiss and walked through that alley way towards the front of the restaurant. I haven't seen or heard from him since."

"You're pretty composed."

"We went on one date. I'm sad that he's dead, but it's not the end of my world."

Zach couldn't believe what he was seeing.

That wasn't how it happened!

He wanted to scream, tell Booth that she was lying. But he couldn't. And he couldn't remember what happened.

_I had a great time._

It was a memory, almost ghost like. In his mind he could see them standing in the alley. He could feel her pressing against him as they kissed, waiting for the taxi. She had him pinned, leaning against him, kissing him softly, leading him, teaching him.

He could feel himself falling into her, wanting her to teach him more, so happy that she wasn't judging him, that she didn't care about his lack of experience.

_Beep…beep…beep…beep…beep_

Why could he hear that beeping again? Why wouldn't it leave him alone? He wanted to fall back into her. Walk up to her and wrap his arms around her, feel her fingers in his hair, and hold on to her and never let go.

"It's almost over."

Zach looked over at Claire.

But she wasn't there.


	7. Death

**Disclaimer: Not Mine**

**A/N: I'm sorry that I never update this story. I've started school again, and things got crazy. I think only one or two more chapters. If you're still reading, thank you, if you're reading for the first time. I hope to have new stuff by the end of the month. I have a couple weeks off coming up thanks to the Olympics. :) Enjoy. **

Chapter 7: Death

Zach searched the lab, looking for Claire. He saw Hodgins searching through the garbage from the dumpster. He stepped up beside his friend and looked through the stuff with him, not touching anything.

For a while he just watched, like he would if he were alive. He wanted to help but he needed to find Claire and ask what had happened. What was almost over? Why did the world seem to be falling apart around him?

He left and walked into Angela's office. She was sitting in a large chair with her sketch pad in her lap. He walked up behind her hand looked over her shoulder. He expected to see a picture of himself. Another of Angela's 'in death' tribute sketches. She sometimes drew the most beautiful pictures of those that had already died.

But she was just starting and the lines weren't done yet. He couldn't distinguish what the picture would look like when it was done.

He put his hand on her shoulder and swore he could feel the warmth of her body. She looked to the side that he had put his hand on and just stared, like she was expecting someone to be there.

He leaned in and did something he'd only be brave enough to do in death.

He kissed the top of her head. There were tears on her cheeks and he reached out and wiped them away. He looked at her beautiful face and wished he'd gotten to tell her in life what he thought about her.

He continued his search for Claire.

_Beep…beep…beep…beep…beep_

That beeping seemed to be louder, closer, and steadier. He didn't know what it was. It didn't sound like his alarm anymore, more like one of those monitors at the hospital.

He saw Claire, sitting on the table where his bones lay. He walked towards her and she shook her head.

"I really though that this time would be different," she said. She put her hands on his shoulders.

"What do you mean?"

"You have to figure it out! Please, Zach. Figure it out and fast."

"It was Grace, I know that."

"How? Can you prove it?"

"No…I just…I remember."

_Beep…beep…beep…beep…beep_

"Please, Zach! Before it's too late." Claire was begging now.

"Why is it so important to you?"

"Because! Zach, you don't understand!" She was nearly frantic, standing in front of him, hands on his shoulders, tears running down her face.

"What? What don't I understand?"

"I've waited for years for someone to remember. Someone has to remember!"

"Remember what?"

"What she did! If you don't remember now you never will."

"What do you mean?"

"Tell me what happened!"

"I…"

"_I'm sorry, give me one second," said Zach, stepping away. His phone had rung, and as much as he wanted to ignore it he was worried it was Dr. Brennen, and that he needed to be in right away. _

_He stepped away from Grace and pulled his phone from his pocket. It was an unknown number. Booth calling from his office? That was an unlisted number. Or maybe one of the many phones in the Hodgin's manor. _

_Before he could answer he felt the sharpest pain he'd ever felt in his life. He could feel himself scream; hear his voice cut through the air. _

_He fell forwards into the wall of the building opposite to Garcia's restaurant. When he turned to see his attacker, he saw Grace. _

_She looked striking in a black dress, with her hair pulled up. And she looked absolutely terrifying, wielding a pocket knife, dripping with his blood. _

"_Hey! Stop!" yelled another voice. Zach turned to see the source, and saw a ratty old man, probably homeless, moving towards him._

_Grace turned too, and when she saw him she panicked. She looked at Zach, leaning heavily against the wall, fighting for his life. Without hesitation, she pressed the knife to his neck, and he tried to push her away. She pulled the blade across his skin and cut a thin and shallow slit across his throat. _

_He screamed again and she fled. He could hardly stay conscious as the man knelt and held a rag to his throat._

"_I save you, boy. Hold on." And Zach closed his eyes, knowing it was too late._

"That…" Claire stared at him.

"What?"

"You…you remember! Oh my, God, I can't believe it. You have no idea how long I've…" she trailed off and looked behind her at his bones.

"Claire?"

"Things are going to make sense soon, Zach. I hope…I haven't really…it's all so new."

"And people say I don't make any sense. Claire what are you talking about?"

"The end, Zach. Tell me what you saw!"

"There was a witness."

"Really?"

"Yes. A homeless man. He was there."

"That's a start."

"Claire? What's going on?"

"Good bye, Zach. It was good to know you."

And she disappeared.


End file.
